Bio fuels and best practices

I thought it was really interesting to hear about how oils used at fast food restaurants can be used as an alternative fuel. I think that this is a really good idea because there is no shortage of fast food restaurants in America, and gas is very getting to be very expensive, and we are running out.


As for the Garden, the best practices for composting would be having everyone bring in fruit and veggie scraps to contribute to the compost pile. Turning the compost to get it mixed together well, and spreading it onto the garden beds.

Stop motion plant

I am planing growing beans for my stop motion project. The way i would grow them is in a glass jar with damp paper towels. The type of bean i will use is a lentil, but i was also thinking about doing a few different kinds, maybe Lima or mung beans.

Food Crisis

What struck me the most about the The Global Food Crisis, was how using unnatural ways of growing food is impacting people. It makes food cheaper, and available to people, but the pesticides destroy the nutrients in the soil, and make the farm workers, and people in the surrounding areas sick. So it seems like we are in a lose/lose situation, unless we find natural ways to mass produce, or use much less resources than we are using now.

Senior project ideas

The research on environmental science that everyone presented was very interesting and inspiring, but i have an idea already that i really want to do. I want to do a sound project about our class's garden. I want to record the sounds of the garden, such as insects chirping, the sounds of sprinklers, or maybe the sound of rain if i get the chance to catch it. I am also interested in recording the class talking about the garden, and their own plants. I am planing on putting the recordings on a CD, and play it at exhibition.

Plant research

Basil



A) Basil is a herb.

B) Basil’s growing season is begins in late March, because it is sensitive to cold.

C) It should be planted from a seed, and it takes a week for the seeds to germinate.

D) It takes 25 days for it to grow into a seedling.

E) It grows to 30-130 cm tall.

F) It should be planted in soil that is well dug and free of weeds. The soil should also be fertile non acidic, and well drained.

G) It needs to be watered at least once a week, and water the base of the plant, avoiding the leaves and stems.

H) Basil is a good companion plant for tomatoes, peppers, and petunias.

- The ancient Greeks and Romans thought basil would only grow if you shouted, and screamed wildly while planting the seeds.




http://www.gardenguides.com/plants/info/herbs/basil.asp



http://www.gardeningpatch.com/herbs/growing-basil.aspx





Mint


A) Mint is a herb.

B) It is planted in the early spring, as soon as the ground can be worked.

C) Mint is grown from a seed, germinates in 10 to 15 days, and need a lot of water.

E) They should be planted 12 to 18 in apart.

F) Mint can be grown in most types of soil, but the soil has to be kept moist until the plants are established.

G) It should be watered when ever the soil is looking dry, or when the leaves are starting to droop-it should be watered often.

H) Mint is a good companion plant for cabbages and tomatoes.

-There are about 30 species of mint, and the most common type of mint is spearmint.



http://www.planetnatural.com/site/xdpy/kb/growing-mint.html



http://www.ehow.com/how_320_grow-mint.html



http://www.seedsofchange.com/enewsletter/issue_55/companion_planting.aspx

Curiosities

I am curious about companion plants, because I had never really knew about companion plants before researching for the garden project, and they are something new for me. I have never been very interested in gardening, and when i have gardened in the past my plants always died very quickly, so i would never pursue it. But think its really interesting how some plants help each other grow, and how some can keep insects away. I am curious to see how it works out in our garden.